Chicken coop



E. W. AYLOR CHICKEN COOP F'iled June 19, 1952 sept. 15, 1953 Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE Claims.

The present invention relates in general to chicken coops, and more particularly to the type of coops used for transportation of poultry, having resiliently latched doors incorporated therein.

It is conventional practice in storing coops in transportation vehicles for delivery to market of piling such coops in tiers of considerable height. In stacking and removing coops from the upper rows of such tiers, the attendants usually stand on one or several of such coops. By reason of the rough handling to which these coops are subjected during such stacking, they must be extremely rigid in construction and able to withstand the strains and shocks to which they are habitually subjected.

According to conventional construction practice, coops of this type are usually formed in a rectangular shape with the side and top Walls formed by spaced dowels, so that a maximum quantity of air is admitted to the poultry, and at the same time substantial strength is provided in the construction to resist the downward force of a large number of such coops piled one upon the other.

For convenience in filling and empyting the coops, a pivoted door is usually provided in the top of the coop, which is resiliently biased to latched condition, usually by means of a coil spring surrounding a pivot-forming dowel extending through one end of the door, the coil spring serving to bias the door toward one side -Y of the door opening and into latching engagement with a latching pin projecting from that side of the door opening. An important feature of such hinged doors for chicken coops, however, is that the door when opened by the attendant will. remain in open position and may be readily closed and automatically latched by merely brushing the door either with the elbow or with the poultry being carried. Such latching arrangement, however, must be eiiicient and positive 1in operation to prevent escape of other chickens from the coop. Also, failure to securely close the hinged door exposes the coop to almost certain injury in the course of shipment.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is the provision of a poultry coop of the type referred to in which an improved door construction insures the automatic complete closure of the door on slight movement of the door from open position.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel poultry coop of the type having a hinged door incorporated therein, which door is provided with a resilient latching mechanism of improved construction.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel chicken coop of the type having a hinged door With a resilient latching mechanism for positively latching the door in closed position, which coop is of simple and durable construction.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detail description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein only a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a topplan of a chicken coop embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the medial portion of the chicken coop to illustrate the novel door construction incorporated therein, taken along the lines 2--2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the portion of the chicken coop forming the door latching arrangement illustrating the position assumed by the parts during unlatching movement thereof;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section, taken along the lines 4--4 of Figure 3.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several gures, the numeral II designates generally a rectangular frame forming the top of a shipping crate or coop for poultry, having longitudinal side frame members II and trans- Verse end frame members I2. The connection between the adjacent ends of the side and end frame members I I and I2 may be a mortise and tenon connection of conventional construction. or the side frame members I I may be laid on top of the end framev members I2, in each instance the frame members being preferably bolted to each other.

As is the conventional practice, a plurality of parallel dowel members I3 extend between the frame members forming the top and sides of the coop to constitute the closure for the walls thereof, the ends of the dowel members forming the top of the coop being secured in the frame members 'I I, preferably by providing spaced holes in the frame members into which the ends of the dowel members are inserted and secured.

A pair of longitudinally extending cross frame members are also illustrated, consisting of the uninterrupted cross frame member I4 and the components I5 and I6 forming an interrupted the transverse supporting straps cross frame member parallel to the frame member I4 and interrupted to provide the door openin I1.

referably, transverse supporting straps I8 are bolted to the side frame members II intermediate the length thereof and extend transversely therebetween to define, together with one of the frame members I I and the cross frame member I4, the limits of the door opening I'I.

The hinged door, generally indicated by the reference character I9, is formed in a generally conventional manner of a pair of side frame members 20 and 2I, each having facing recesses in the inwardly disposed face thereof accommodating a series of parallel dowels 22. As illustrated in the drawing, one end of each of the two side frame members 20 and 2I is provided with a hole extending therethrough and surrounding one of the dowels 23 forming the top 'closure ofthe coop and defining the pivot rod for the door I9.

The outermost dowel 24 at the other end of the, door I9 is securely seated at one end in one ber' 2'4 tobefforcedinwardly against its own in-- ternal Vresiliei'icy and inserted or withdrawn from 'the keeper recess V2li in the frame member I6 for 4la't'clli'ng and iinlatchi'ng'thedoor. As shown in Figures 2 vand `4,`the'g`uide slot 25 extends at an angle inclined upwardly and away from the adjacent portion of the door opening so that the latching dowel 24 is normally seated by its own internal resilient bias'when the door i9 is in closed position. The projecting end of the cross frame member I isbeveled away from the door opening asin'dicate'd at 2l to cam the latching dowel 24 inwardly when the door I9 is pivoted downwardly' into contacttherewith.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the door frame members 20 and 2l 'are so arranged relative to I8 that the frame membersrest upon both supporting straps when in closed position.

Operation of the hinged door of the chicken coop i's as follows: Assuming the door to be in closed position, the latching dowel 24 is grasped by the hand of the attendant and drawn toward the remaining dowels 22`forming the door I9 to unseat the latching dowel 24 from the latching recess 26 and permit the door I9 to be pivoted into an erect open position. If the door is fully opened, the door will lpivot past center into a position where the door frame members 20 and 2i contact the dowel member I3 adjacent the door opening I1 and remain at rest in this position. After the attendant has grasped hold of a number of chickens and lifted them out of the coop, he need only swing the door past the vertical axis extending through the pivot forming dowel 23, either by engaging the door with his elbow or with the handful of chickens, and the momentum of the door will carry it downwardly to bring the latching dowel 24 into engagement with the beveled surface 21 of the frame member I6 and cam the latch rearwardly as the door descends to the position where the resiliency of the latching dowel 24 biases it into seating position within thelatching recess 26.

The inward camming of the latching dowel 24 'isassistedby theangular' inclination of the guide slot 25, as the free end of the latching dowel 24 is forced upwardly into contact with the upper surface of the slot 25 on engagement with the beveled surface 21. The upward inclination of the upper surface of the slot 25 translates the upward force on the end of the latching dowel 24 into an inwardly directed component assisting movement of the dowel 24 inwardly past the upper edge of the latching recess 26.

This same angular inclination of the guide slot 25 likewise assists in maintaining the door latched when in closed position, as the free end of the dowel 24 is forced downwardly into contact with the lower surface of the guide slot 25 when an opening force is directed against the door. This downwardly and outwardly inclined lower surface ofthe guide slot 25 resolves the downward force into a component directed toward the latching recess 26, thus insuring intimate seating of the latching dowel 24 within the latching recess 26' under such conditions.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that a novel hinged door construction for chicken coops has-been provided, which may be easily and readily manipulated'by thev attendant in opening and closing the same, which automatically latches the door on pivoting of the door into closed position under force of gravity, and which securelymaintains the'door in latched condition unless manually unlatched by the attendant.

Various modincations may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations be placed thereon as are imposed bythe prior art and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a chickenvvcoop having a door opening and a door pivotally supported therein for rotation about an axis in the plane of an adjacent one end of said opening, latching means for said door comprising a catch member on said coop projectinginto said door opening adjacent the free end of said door and having a latching recess 'therein' facing'inwardly of said door opening, an elongated latching element disposed transversely across said door at the free end thereof, means resiliently biasing said latching element laterally in the plane of said door relative to one end thereof into seated condition in said latching recess, and guide means on said door havingcam surfaces inclined to the plane of said doortoengage said latching element and translate upward and downward forces thereon into movement on said latching element away from and toward'said recess respectively.

2. In a chicken coop, having door opening therein, a door, and means pivotally supporting said door in said door opening for rotation relative to a transverse axis adjacent one end of said door opening', a iixed keeper member projecting into said `door opening opposite said pivotal 'supporting means, said keeper member having a keeper recess therein facing inwardly of said door opening, an elongated movable latching element having at least one end iixed in said door and disposed in the plane of said door adjacent one end thereof for engagement with said fixedV keeper member, said latching element being resiliently biased in the direction of said keeper recess and deformable out of engagement therewith, 'and said door having a guide slot therein inclined to the plane of said door and receiving said movable latching element for camming said latching element away from and toward said keeper recess in response to upward and downward forces exerted by said iixed keeper member on said latching element respectively.

3. In a chicken coop having a door opening and a door pivotally supported therein on an axis lying at one end of said opening and having spaced side frame members, a latching mechanism for said door comprising a xed keeper member projecting into said opening having a latching recess in an end thereof facing inwardly of said door opening opposite said one end thereof, a latching rod extending between said door frame members at the ends thereof adjacent said keeper member and having one end anchored in one of said door frame members, said latching rod being resiliently biased toward said recess, the other of said door frame members having a guide slot accommodating the other end of said latching rod and having cam surfaces inclined to the plane lof said door for camming said latching rod away from said latching recess on upward forces thereon and urging said latching rod toward said latching recess on downward forces thereon.

4. In a chicken coop having a door opening formed in the top thereof, a door having spaced side frame members, a plurality of spaced parallel dowels extending between said door frame members, one of said dowels extending through said side frame members adjacent one end of said door and forming pivotal supporting means for said door, a xed catch member having a latching recess in an end thereof projecting into said door opening opposite said pivot-forming dowel, another of said dowels forming a latching member extending between said door frame members at the end thereof opposite said pivotforming dowel and having one end anchored in one of said door frame members, said latching dowel being deformable laterally in the plane of said door and resiliently biased toward said recess, the other of said door frame members having a guide slot inclined to the plane of said door and accommodating the other end of said latching dowel, the upper and lower side walls of said slot forming cam means for urging said latching dowel away from said latching recess on upward forces thereon and urging said latching dowel toward said latching recess on downward forces thereon.

5. In a chicken coop having a door opening formed in the top thereof, a door having spaced side frame members, a plurality of spaced parallel dowels extending between said door frame members, one of said dowels extending through said side frame members adjacent one end of said door and forming pivotal supporting means for said door, a xed catch member having a latching recess in an end thereof projecting into said door opening opposite said pivot-forming dowel, another of said dowels forming a latching member extending between said door frame members at the end thereof opposite said pivotforming dowel and having one end anchored in one of said door frame members, said latching dowel being deformable laterally in the plane of said door and resiliently biased toward said recess, the other of said door frame members having a guide slot for accommodating the other end of said latching dowel, said guide slot having upper and lower side walls inclined to the plane of said door and forming cam means to be engaged by said latching dowel and translate upward and downward pressure exerted by said catch member into movement of said latching dowel in the plane of said door away from and toward said latching recess respectively, and an inclined .surface on the projecting end of said fixed catch member to be engaged by said latching dowel on downward movement of said door and cam the latching dowel beyond said projecting end.

EUGENE W. AYLOR.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,650,620 Fleming Nov. 29, 1927 2,222,008 White Nov. 19, 1940 

